Newsletter

Civil war history

Laurel County History Museum & Genealogy Center

Located in London, Laurel County, Kentucky, is the newly opened Laurel County History and Genealogy Center. It is housed in a revamped 8,000 square foot barn, next to a renovated barn turned event facility at Heritage Hills Park at the end of Falls Road.

The Laurel County History Museum and Genealogy Center is striving to make sure that Laurel County and the rest of the world remembers our history from the time before the Wilderness Road until yesterday. We want to honor the people who fought in our wars, who settled the area, who became famous, and those who have made a difference in the area simply by living here. We hope that you will help us do this.

The Museum and Genealogy Center is 501-c3 and therefore any donations are tax deductible. It has been created, managed, and staffed by volunteers. London-Laurel Tourism has been and still is our staunchest supporter, but there is always room for more support. You can volunteer, contribute monetarily, donate artifacts, provide documentation, and attend events. This is YOUR history as well as ours. Help us preserve it for future generations.

Hours of Operation:

Tuesday and Thursdays – Noon to 5:00 p.m. Other times by appointment

Genealogy Center Services

Genealogical Research – We assist visitors to the library in this area. If you are unable to visit but would like for research to be initiated, please, e-mail us atlaurelcountyhistory@yahoo.com or send a letter to our mailing address: Laurel County History Museum & Genealogy Center, 470 Falls Road, London, KY 40741.

We will provide approximately an hour of research at no cost except for copies (25 cents each) and shipping and handling charges. Since the Center is all volunteers you may not get an immediate reply. It helps if you ask specific questions and give us enough information to permit us to do the research. It is also important to include contact information for us to contact you when or if questions arise.

Should you need more in depth research, we encourage you to make arrangements to come to the facility. Should this not be an option, research time may be purchased for a fee depending on what is needed. Arrangements will have to be made on an individual basis.

Storage of Artifacts and Documents – We will gladly make copies of family photos at no charge and store them and perhaps place them on display on occasion. We also accept donations of photographs, documents, and artifacts. Remember, the Center is a 501-c3 organization and thus donations that have a monetary value are deductible.

Micro film records – The Center has numerous documents on micro film will soon have the capability to read them as they are seen on a 32” screen, making for easy reading.

History Museum Services

Guided Tours: Guided tours are available and are encouraged for larger groups. Staff loves to share about what pieces are in the Museum and the history behind them and how it came to be at the Museum.

Artifact Requisition: The Museum is always looking for new acquisitions that are from history or tell a story about the history of Kentuckians, particularly those of Laurel County. Loans are accepted for showing at various times. Donations of artifacts can be potentially tax deductible if needed as the Museum has 501-c3 status.

Admission Prices:

Currently free but donations gratefully accepted.

Meetings:

Meetings are held every fourth Tuesday of the month at 3:00 p.m. at the Museum. Anyone interested in volunteering or donating are welcome to attend.

Camp Wildcat Civil War Battlefield

Located on the historic Old Wilderness Road, the site features a pavilion with 26 interpretive signs, bathrooms, the original trenches and two walking trails with signs.

Civil War battlefields are part of our national heritage; scenes of struggle and sacrifice where American soldiers lost their lives. Camp Wildcat Preservation Foundation works to preserve, protect and interpret this unique battlefield so that future generations can learn about the sacrifices made here.

The Battle of Camp Wildcat (also known as Wildcat Mountain and Camp Wild Cat) was one of the early engagements of the American Civil War. It occurred October 21, 1861, in northern Laurel County, Kentucky during the campaign known as the Kentucky Confederate Offensive. The battle is considered one of the very first Union victories, and marked the second engagement of troops in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

The two sides clashed in a brisk battle in the late afternoon

of October 20, 1861. On the morning of October 21, soon after Schoepf arrived, some of his men moved forward and ran into Confederate forces, commencing an intense firefight. The Federals repelled repeated Confederate attacks, in part due to fortifications, both man-made and natural. The Confederates withdrew during the night and continued their retreat to Cumberland Ford, which they reached on October 26. A Union victory was welcomed.

The battlefield, about nine miles northwest of modern day London, Kentucky, is located on land held by the Daniel Boone National Forest and is in private hands. The Confederate Monument at Crab Orchard miles to the west memorializes some of the Confederates that died at the battle.